Sled-propelling mechanism.



T, D. WOOLSON. SLED PROPELLING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED FEBJ, 1 914.

1, 1 ()0, 643 Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Swumtop' Thomas Woolsm COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON. D. c.

T. D. WOOLSON.

- SLED PROPELLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1914.

1,100,643, Patented June 16, 191 4,

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

THOMAS D. WOO-LSON, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

SLED-PROPELLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed February 7, 1914. Serial No. 817,309.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS D. VVOOLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at lfticlnnond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sled-Propelling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sled propelling mechanism the object in View being to provide in combination with a sled, novel and effective sled propelling mechanism driven by a motor mounted on the sled, combined with means for varying the angle between the sled and the propelling means whereby the sled as a whole may be steered to one side or the other,

Vl ith the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sled showing the propelling means of this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the forward portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the propelling mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section through one of the oscillatory guides and traction elements, showing also a portion of the crank shaft. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail vertical section through the lower end of one of the traction elements, showing the shoe cleaning plunger.

In the preferred embodiment of this in= vention I have illustrated the sleigh as comprising a bodv 1 mounted upon a pair of bob-sleds 2 and 3 arranged one in advance of the other, the body 1 being supported on the bob-sleds 2 and 3 by means'of elliptic springs 4 and 5, the body 1 being providedatopposite sides with downwardly extending slotted guides 6 which straddle the axle 7 the latter extending across and connecting the opposite side runners of the forward bob-sled 2 as shown in Fig. 3. The side runners 8 of the forward bob-sled 2 are j ournaled on knuckles 9 so that said runners 8 may rock in a fore and aft direction and the said knuckles 9 are connected to the opposite ends of the axle 8 by means of vertical pivots or journals 10 which allow the runners 8 to rock laterally, said runners being, however, always maintained in parallel relation to each other by means of a stay bar 11 parallel to the axle 7 and pivotally connected at its opposite ends as shown at 12 to arms 13 extending inwardly from the runners 8 all as shown in Fig. 3. This pivotal and universal mounting of the runners 8 admits of the steering of the machine in connection with the propelling mechanism as will hereinafter appear.

Connected to the forward portion of the front bob-sled 2 is a thill frame 14 embodying the rearwardly diverging thill arms 15 which are connected by universal joints at 16 to inwardly extending projections or arms 17 on the runners 8. The thill arms 15 are connected by a plurality of cross braces 18 and 19. The forward portion of the thill frame terminates in a head plate 20 having an upwardly extending sleeve bearing 21 around which is journaled a bevel gear wheel 22. A king bolt 23 extends through the sleeve 21 and wheel 22 and also through the head'plate 20 and an inverted dished crown plate 24, thus enabling the crown plate 24 to be turned around the bolt 23 as a center. Extending downwardly from opposite sides of the crown plate 24 are fork arms 25 in the lower ends of which is journaled a crank shaft 26 the purpose of which will appear.

27 designates a pair of oscillatory guides, said guides being arranged in parallel relation to each other as shown in Fig. 4 and pivotally mounted at their upper ends on a cross shaft 28 upon which, said guides swing as a center when actuated by the crank shaft .26 bove referred to. Mounted slidingly in said oscillatory guides 27 are traction elements 29, the sliding relation between the members 27 and 29 being illustrated in detail in Fig. 5 wherein it will be observed that each of the traction elements 29 has its opposite edges grooved as shown at 30 while the oscillatory guides are provided with V- shaped faces 31 along which the traction elements 29 slide in the direction of their length. The traction elements 29 are journaled on the crank pin of the crank shaft 26 and therefore when said shaft 26 is revolved, the traction elements 29 are caused to slide lengthwise of the oscillatory guides 27 and at the same time saidvguides are-oscillated in a fore and aft direction.

The mechanism for driving the traction elements 29 consists of an internal combus tion engine 32 mounted on the platform or floor 33 of the body 1 as shown inFig; 1 and preferably over the rear bob-sled 3. The

. shaft34bfthe engine 32 is connected by a slide joint 35 toa tumblingshaft .36 having at its forward end a bevel gear wheel 37 which meshes with a correspondlng bevel gear wheel 38 on the lower extremity ofan upright shaft 39 connected by "gears 40. and 4:1 to a'forwardl extending shaft 42 provided at its forward extremity .wlth a bevel pinion 43 which meshes with the bevel gear wheel '22 above referred to. Bevel gear wheels etarearranged at opposite sides of the gear wheel 22, both of said wheels being in mesh with the wheel 22 and .one of said wheels 44 being fast on. the shaft .28 above refer-red to. Fast on this same shaft 28 is a spur gear pinion 45 which meshes with and 48. This shaft is provided at suitable points with universal joints 4:9 and 50 and also with a slide joint 51 and at itsiforward extremity said shaft is provided with a pinion 52 which meshesewith .a rack 'face 53 onthe under sideof theidished crown plate 24: as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Therefore, by turning the wheel 47 in either direction, the entire propolling-mechanism may be turned in a corresponding direction for the purpose of steering the machine.

Contractile springs 5 are connected at their lower extremities to the forward ends ofthe runners 8 at the, points 55 and are connected at their upper extremities at 56 to the, rearwardly. divergingithill. arms 15 as shown. These springs serve to yieldingly depress orh'old down the propelling me'cha-I .nismnso as to insure the properjen'gagement thereof with.,the surface over which the sled is traveling. 1

Each of thetraction elements 29 is provi ed at its lower extremity with an arcuate shoe 57 having a cutting edge 58 .which edge is, preferably rounded. in a fore and aft direction as shown inFigs. 1; and2 so as to rock in contact with the supporting surface. Within the shoe 57 is .mounteda vertically movable shoe cleaning plunger.59 having on the bottom or workingface thereof one or more barbs 60 to obtaina firm hold on *the vsupportingsurface. The plunger '59. is nor 'mal y'held 'down bymeans of a coiled exment.

:pansion spring 61 arranged .ina recess 62 1 in the bottom of the traction element 29 as shown in the detail section Fig. (3. Stop pins (33 extending inwardly from the shoe r or and entering grooves (34 111 the plunger 09 serve tolimit the upward and downward .movements of the plunger 59, permittmg driven by the engine carried by the sled and b means of the construction particularly set forth, said traction elements receive a fore and aft oscillatory movement and also have an upward and downward sliding move- This causes the bottom ends of the traction elements to describe elliptical paths resembling closely the movements of the hoof of a draft animal, the shoes 57 moving clear of the ground or supporting surface as they travel in a forward direction, and working in contact with the supporting surface when moving rearmirdly. The springs 5 f allow the propelling mechanism as a whole to rise and fall in accordance with the movements and operation of the traction elements 29 and prevent any disagreeable jars from being imparted to the sleigh body while keeping the traction elements in proper working elation to the supporting surface.

What I claim is '1. The combination with. a sled, of propelling mechanism comprising a thill frame havinga jointed connection with the sled, a plurality of oscillatory guides pivotally at tached to said thill frame, traction elements slidably mounted on said guides, a motor, and motor-driven connections operating to oscillate said guides and simultaneously slide said traction elements.

2. The combination with a sled the runners of which are connected to admit of their relative movement in a fore and aft direction, of propelling mechanism comprising a thill framehaving a jointed universal connection with the sled, a plurality of oscillatory guides pivotally attached to said thill frame, traction elements slidably mounted on said guides, a motor, and motordriven connections operating to oscillate saidguides and simultaneously slide said traction elements.

3. The combination with a sled, of propelling mechanism comprising a thill frame having a jointed connection with the sled, a plurality of oscillatory guides pivotally attached to said thill frame, traction elements slidably mounted on said guides, a motor, a crank shaft journaled in said thill frame and serving to oscillate said guides and impart a sliding movement to said traction elements, and driving connections between said motor and crank shaft.

4:. The combination with a sled, of propelling mechanism comprising a thill frame having a jointed connection with the sled, a plurality of oscillatory guides pivotally attached to said thill frame, traction elements slidably mounted on said guides, a motor, motor-driven connections operating to oscillate said guides and simultaneously slide said traction elements, and means for yieldingly depressing said thill frame.

5. The combination with a sled, of propelling mechanism comprising a thill frame having a jointed connection with the sled, a plurality of oscillatory guides pivotally attached to said thill frame, traction elements slidably mounted on said guides, a motor, motor-driven connections operating to oscillate said guides and simultaneously slide said traction elements, and means for swinging said thill frame laterally to steer the sled by means of the propelling mechanism.

6. The combination with a sled, of propelling mechanism comprising a thill frame having a jointed connection with the sled, a plurality of oscillatory guides pivotally attached to said thill frame, traction elements slidably mounted on said guides, traction shoes on said traction elements, shoe-cleaning plungers carried by said traction elements, a motor, and motor-driven connections operating to oscillate said guides and simultaneously slide said traction elements.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS D. WOOLSON.

Witnesses:

J. A. PURDIE, J r., B. D. PURDIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

